The focus of this research was to conduct a statistical analysis of the effect of various traffic, geometric, and environmental factors on accident rates on New Jersey State highways. The main concern was the effect of midblock access points on accident rates. To identify the characteristics of access-related accidents (section accidents), a comparison study was conducted to investigate the effect of various factors on both section accidents and signalized intersection accidents. Access density was found to be a contributing factor to the occurrence of accidents, but it was not the only factor. About 30 percent of accidents on the study routes in New Jersey are expected to occur between signalized intersections, whereas 7 percent of the accidents are due to maneuvering to and from access points. Accident rates for sections between signalized intersections were better represented by a log-normal distribution than by a normal distribution. The effect of single factors such as access density, median, shoulder, number of lanes, and speed limits on accident rates was also investigated with the Kruskal—Wallis test. Of the above factors, only the number of lanes was found to be nonsignificant to accident rates. Two regression models for four lanes with shoulder, two lanes without shoulder, and four lanes with median were found to have sufficiently good R2 values and their use is recommended with caution. Hourly and subhourly traffic flow data, average operating speed and variance data, and law enforcement data will further improve the analysis of accident data.


In breast cancer, cancer associated fibroblasts (CAF) express podoplanin but little is known about its mechanism of expression and modulation. This might be crucial for cancer cell movements and for the ability to escape from the tumor site. Podoplanin showed anti-adhesive activity towards tumor and immune cells. A key control of tumor microenvironment is exerted by microRNAs on gene expression. Therefore miRNAs profiling was performed with 3D-Gene microarray technology on a breast CAF model, on cell lysates and on secreted exosomes, in hypoxia versus normoxia culture conditions. Systems biology enrichment analyses were carried out through bioinformatics using mathematical models that simulate in silico the behaviour of human physiology. Targets linked to the set of differential miRNAs, both up-regulated and down-regulated, have been analyzed with various methods including a hypergeometric distribution method. Processes linked to hypoxia, glycosylation, angiogenesis, extracellular matrix and pathways associated with PI3K-AKT, mTOR, P53 and chemokines signaling were studied. We showed that podoplanin expression strongly affected miRNAs involved in these processes. Hypoxia increased expression of miR-210, miR-21 and miR-29b in cells over-expressing podoplanin. miR-21 is an oncogenic regulator in most cancer cells through its downstream target proteins among which stands the tumor suppressor PTEN, a candidate to alleviate hypoxia in tumors, regulating tumor angiogenesis and modulating tumor hypoxia. miR-29b is a tumor suppressor, it also correlates with PTEN repression. We highlighted miRNA regulation of podoplanin expression through downregulation of upstream genes for tumor suppressor PTEN. The combination of miRNome analysis and systems biology bioinformatics uncovered potential miRNAs involved in the regulation of podoplanin activity in CAF. Such data analysis may be applied to protein and mRNA biomarkers and extended to other pathology pathways. Citation Format: Anna Tejchman, Eric Mennesson, Isabelle Fixe, Alexandra Foucher, Simon Perera, Laura Artigas, Jose Manuel Mas, Catherine Grillon, Maciej Ugorski, Nadia Normand, Claudine Kieda. miRNome analyses reveal that activity of CAF expressed podoplanin in tumor microenvironment is modulated by exosome miRNAs involved in the PTEN-PI3K-AKT-mTOR signaling [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2017; 2017 Apr 1-5; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 1460. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2017-1460


The gate-type steel-shuttering jumbo is key construction equipment for tunnel lining, which is usually designed for customization according to the shape and size of the tunnel. Aiming at the insufficiency of existing methods in the jumbo design, the CAD/CAE technology is introduced into the domains of the jumbo design. In this paper, the gate-type steel-shuttering jumbo for spillway lining in Xiluodu hydropower station is designed, and virtual assembly is established based on three-dimensional digital model using Pro/E software. The stress and strain of the jumbo under different working conditions are analyzed by ANSYS. The result of finite element analysis can be regarded as the basis of structure design and optimization of the jumbo, and can be used to verify the design feasibility at the same time.


The aim of this article is to discuss the applications of in vivo EPR in the field of pharmacy. In addition to direct detection of free radical metabolites and measurement of oxygen, EPR can be used to characterize the mechanisms of drug release from biodegradable polymers. Unique information about drug concentration, the microenvironment (viscosity, polarity, pH) and biodistribution (by localized measurement or EPR Imaging) can be obtained.


Author(s): Belviranli, Mehmet Esat | Advisor(s): Bhuyan, Laxmi N | Abstract: Today's heterogeneous architectures bring together multiple general purpose CPUs, domain specific GPUs and FPGAs to provide dramatic speedup for many applications. However, the challenge lies in utilizing these heterogeneous processors to optimize overall application performance so that workload completion time is minimized. Operating system and application development for these systems are in their infancy.In this dissertation, we propose various techniques to improve overall system throughput on heterogeneous systems. We develop run-time and compile-time mechanisms to efficiently distribute the workload between various processors and accelerators, transfer the corresponding data to execute them. We explore various data partitioning, synchronization and scheduling schemes to improve load balance, maximize resource utilization and minimize the execution time. First, we propose a dynamic scheduling mechanism to incorporate all available processing units in the execution of a given parallel loop. Our scheme automatically detects the computation speed of each CPU and accelerator and distributes the workload accordingly during run-time. We, then, focus on improving data transfers over PCI-e bus to further improve the system throughput in the existing of multiple applications sharing a single GPU. We present a framework to exploit automatic transfer/execution overlapping without requiring any modifications to source code. We further improve heterogeneous system efficiency by optimizing in-GPU execution. We find that barrier synchronizations cause a bottleneck in performance. We develop a task based execution scheme that utilizes distributed queues to exploit better cache locality and inter-SM load balance. Finally, we introduce a tile-based wavefront execution technique by removing global barriers and employing a novel peer-SM synchronization mechanism. Through extensive experiments, we observe that our schemes significantly outperforms existing state-of-the-art approaches.


The Isles Dernieres is a low-lying, transgressive barrier-island chain situated about 150 km west of the modern Mississippi delta. Much of the Isles Dernieres consists of highly dissected salt-marsh muds that lie at or slightly above sea level and are covered by a veneer of sand along the shoreline facing the Gulf of Mexico. Maximum berm elevations are generally less than 1.5 m above mean sea level. Since the mid-1800s, the initial island has been fragmented into four islands, and the beach face has retreated landward at a rate of more than 10 m/yr. The dominant processes controlling degradation of the chain are cold fronts that pass through the area several times each year and occasional hurricanes. Beach surveys over a 2-year period on the Isles Dernieres document irreversible beach-face retreat in conjunction with multiple cold fronts and one major hurricane (Gilbert). Although both the hurricane and the cold fronts caused the island to erode, the erosional patterns of the two storm types differed from each other. During the two years, over 60 cold fronts collectively caused about 37 m of beach-face retreat, whereas Gilbert itself produced more than 40 m of retreat. A major difference between the two storm types was in the percentage of washover sand produced by each. Commonly, the cold fronts did not create enough of a storm surge to overtop the berm, so most of the material removed from the beach face must have moved offshore or alongshore. Gilbert, in contrast, inundated the study site, and essentially all the sand removed from the beach face moved to the backshore.


In recent decades, the automatic study and analysis of plankton communities using imaging techniques has advanced significantly. The effectiveness of these automated systems appears to have improved, reaching acceptable levels of accuracy. However, plankton ecologists often find that classification systems do not work as well as expected when applied to new samples. This paper proposes a methodology to assess the efficacy of learned models which takes into account the fact that the data distribution (the plankton composition of the sample) can vary between the model building phase and the production phase. As opposed to most validation methods that consider the individual organism as the unit of validation, our approach uses a validation‐by‐sample, which is more appropriate when the objective is to estimate the abundance of different morphological groups. We argue that, in these cases, the base unit to correctly estimate the error is the sample, not the individual. Thus, model assessment processes require groups of samples with sufficient variability in order to provide precise error estimates.


Metal clusters were stabilized in poly(amide imide) (PAI) polymers in high dispersion and large amounts of metal loading of typically 15 wt-%. The loaded polymers are prepared as pore-free, mechanically stable membrane films. Pure Pd-loaded and bimetallic Pd/Ag, Pd/Cu PAI films were investigated by means of X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAFS), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) to characterize the structure of the metal clusters in the protective polymer. The reduction of nitrous oxide by Pd/Ag-loaded membranes in the membrane mode is demonstrated. Cluster sizes are calculated from the measured XAFS coordination numbers by use of an onion model which describes the clusters as spherical metal cores with uniform oxide surface layers. All measurements consistently show a homogeneous distribution of metallic nanoclusters of size 1-6 nm with a smaller amount of larger aggregates in most of the films. Indications of metal alloying in bimetallic films are generally weak. The precise cluster size distribution critically depends on the solvents used as well as on other preparation parameters. In Pd/Cu-loaded membranes which are judged to be amorphous from the XRD spectra. XAFS clearly demonstrates a reaction of Pd with chlorine from CuCl 2 precursors which may influence the Pd catalytic behavior. Reduction behavior of the metal nanoclusters at 300K is linked by means of the onion model to microscopic quantities.


Accurate information about fluid distribution in different compartments of the human body is very important in various areas of medicine like drug dosage, renal replacement therapy, nutritional support, coronary artery disease, colorectal cancer and HIV infection. The body impedance analysis method being simple, inexpensive, accurate and noninvasive is largely used to this end. Several models of the body impedance are presented in this chapter. The first is the Cole model, a linear, first-order RC circuit valid for a frequency range of two decades. Another model, developed by De Lorenzo, employs a fractional-order impedance whose parameters are identified using the frequency characteristics of the impedance module and can be used for a frequency range of three decades. In addition, two other models are presented, a ladder RC model valid for a frequency range of two decades and its extension to three decades, as well as a circuit containing multiple RC branches connected in parallel. These two models are obtained by approximating the measured body admittance modulus with a physically realizable circuit function followed by the circuit synthesis. The last model can be simplified, its simplest form being the Cole model. Allowing a better prediction of the intracellular and extracellular water volumes, this model can be viewed as an extension of the Cole model.


Background:
 The proximity of femoral nerve to femoral artery renders it vulnerable to injury during transfemoral percutaneous catheterization procedures.

 Objective:
 To determine the incidence of femoral nerve injury in patients undergoing cardiac catheterization in a nationally representative inpatient database.

 Methods:
 We analyzed the data from Nationwide Inpatient Sample release annually. We pooled the data from 2002 through 2010 and identified patients using the ICD 9 CM procedures codes who underwent transfemoral percutaneous catheterization procedures. We subsequently identified occurrence of femoral nerve injury in this cohort of patients. Baseline characteristics, co-morbid conditions, in hospital complications and discharge outcomes (mortality, minimal disability, and moderate to severe disability) were compared between the two groups.

 Results:
 Of the 14255031 patients who underwent percutaneous catheterization procedures, 508 (3 per 1000 procedures) developed femoral nerve injury. The incidence of femoral nerve injury was higher in women: 57% vs 39%%, p<0.004. Patients with coexisting congestive cardiac failure or coagulopathy had a non-significantly increased incidence of femoral nerve injury. There was no in-hospital mortality among patients who developed femoral nerve injury; however, the rate of discharge to nursing facility was higher in patients with femoral nerve injury: 19% vs 10%, p<0.001. After adjusting for age, gender , presence of congestive cardiac failure and coagulopathy femoral nerve injury during percutaneous catheterization procedures was independently associated with moderate to severe disability at discharge (Odds ratio, 2.3; 95% confidence interval, 1.4-3.8, p<0.001)

 Conclusion:
 Femoral nerve injury is a rare complication during percutaneous catheterization procedures which may increase the likelihood of moderate to severe disability at discharge.


For power-line-based sensor networks, impulsive noise (IN) will dramatically degrade the data transmission rate in the power line. In this paper, we present a multilayer perceptron (MLP)-based approach to detect IN in orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM)-based baseband power line communications (PLCs). Combining the MLP-based IN detection method with the outlier detection theory allows more accurate identification of the harmful residual IN. For OFDM-based PLC systems, the high peak-to-average power ratio of the received signal makes detection of harmful residual IN more challenging. The detection mechanism works in an iterative receiver that contains a pre-IN mitigation and a post-IN mitigation. The pre-IN mitigation is meant to null the stronger portion of IN, while the post-IN mitigation suppresses the residual portion of IN using an iterative process. Compared with previously reported IN detectors, the simulation results show that our MLP-based IN detector improves the resulting bit error rate performance.


Moth-flame Optimization (MFO) algorithm is a relatively new optimization algorithm which is classified as Swarm Intelligence (SI). It is inspired by unique behavior of moths in nature. Despite its young age, this algorithm has been proven to be able to address many optimization problems. With respect to that matter, this work introduces a new hybrid approach of MFO with Least Squares Support Vector Machines (termed as MFO-LSSVM). With such hybridization, the LSSVM hyper-parameters are fine-tuned by the MFO. Hence, the generalization in prediction can be improved. Realized in load data, the efficiency of the proposed model is compared against three comparable hybrid algorithms and measured based on three statistical criteria. An experimental study demonstrate that the MFO-LSSVM is able to produce better prediction results compared to the identified hybrid algorithms. Therefore the established hybrid model presents the potential to be applied to short term load prediction.


For four decades, the SEC's often-invoked policy of settling cases without requiring admissions of wrongdoing, referred to as the "neither-admit-nor-deny" policy, went unchallenged by the courts, the legislature, and the public. Then in 2011, a harshly critical opinion from Judge Jed Rakoff in SEC v. Citigroup incited demands for reform of this policy. In response to Judge Rakoff's opinion, the SEC announced a modified approach to settlements. Under the modified approach, the Commission may require an admission of wrongdoing if a defendant's misconduct was egregious or if the public markets would benefit from an admission. Many supporters of the neither-admit-nor-deny policy argue that it is the most efficient way to compensate harmed investors. In contrast, many critics condemn the ministerial role of the judiciary in approving SEC settlements. Other interested parties express uncertainty about how aggressively the SEC will pursue admissions under the modified approach and whether admissions will have collateral estoppel effects in subsequent private litigation. Both supporters and critics are mistaken in their approach to the policy, and those in the third category are justifiably uncertain. This Note emphasizes the need for an overhaul of the neither-admit-nor-deny policy, arguing that the policy is plagued by ambiguity, affords too much discretion to the SEC, and does not sufficiently punish wrongdoers. As a result of its use of the neither-admit-nor-deny policy, the SEC fails to achieve the objectives of transparency, accountability, and deterrence that are paramount to enforcing federal securities laws. By requiring specific admissions of wrongdoing in settlements and limiting the preclusive effect of those admissions in private litigation, the SEC would adopt a more aggressive and disciplined approach to enforcement—better serving the public interest—without the risk of costly litigation with defendants who refuse to settle.


Background and Objective: Despite being recommended for reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes (T2D) the majority of the population do not partake in the advised amount of regular exercise. While high intensity type training has been shown to produce improvements in insulin sensitivity its uptake in high risk populations has been questioned. Contrastingly, whole body vibration training (WBVT) is reported to benefit a range of outcomes in a variety of populations. Limited data exists regarding this training modality on insulin sensitivity. Current study assessed the effect of WBVT on oral glucose tolerance response. Method: Following institutional ethics approval, five young healthy sedentary individuals undertook oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) prior to and on completion of 5-week progressive WBVT. Result: There were no changes in fasting plasma glucose concentrations before and after the 6 weeks of WBVT. Both preand post-training OGTT revealed no significant changes in plasma glucose concentrations over time. There was a 9% reduction in plasma glucose area under the curve (AUC) post training. The Homeostasis Model Assessment of Insulin Resistance (HOMA-IR) decreased by 21% and Cederholm index of insulin sensitivity was increased by 18% following WBVT. Conclusion: Results suggest WBVT is associated with improved insulin sensitivity and could produce clinically relevant effects on fat metabolism in sedentary young people. Large-scale studies are now necessary to assess the effectiveness of WBVT in diabetic populations.


This case examines Lehman Brothers in the months preceding its collapse. Following the announcement of a huge and unexpected second quarter loss, the CFO was removed from her post after only seven months in the job. This case explores the challenges faced by a firm leader as she attempts to manage a situation that threatens the firm's survival. In particular, the case allows for an examination of how changes in a firm's performance and position are communicated to key external stakeholders in an effort to retain their confidence, while market conditions worsen, the balance sheet deteriorates, and the firm's credibility is challenged by a short selling hedge fund.


. Experiments of sawing granite with diamond circular blades were carried out to study the energy efficiency in circular sawing. Energy consumed by machine spindle is classified into energy used without cutting and energy used with cutting. The energy used without cutting almost increases with the improvement of peripheral speed of blade. The energy consumption coefficient, the ratio of energy used with cutting to total energy consumed by spindle, increases with the increase of material removed rate, which reveals that higher material removed rate is favor for improving energy utilization. A fixed trend of energy consumption coefficient versus material removal rate was found and it might be useful for selecting cutting parameters for low energy sawing.


The dodekapropheton: Twelve minor prophets or a larger unit? The Book of the Twelve or the twelve minor prophets received scholarly attention through the ages. Historical criticism pointed out that these prophets lived in different times, in different historical situations and articulated the "word of the Lord" for different circumstances. However, recent scholarship tends to read the corpus of the minor prophets as a structured whole. Such a reading raises a number of problems: the Twelve do not follow one another chronologically and the order of the Masoretic Text does not agree with that of the Septuagint, whilst Qumran follows yet another order. This article probes ‐ albeit cursory ‐ some of these questions from different perspectives. Eventually it appears that a continuous process of "Fortschreibug" shaped and reshaped prophetic messages to keep them alive for following generations. A unity is created by maintaining the tensions and differences amongst the Twelve, thereby reflecting the creative articulation and rearticulation of prophecy in the different times of the history of Judah and Israel.


There is a growing interest in the analysis of survival data with a cured proportion particularly in tumor recurrences studies. Biologically, it is reasonable to assume that the recurrence time is mainly affected by the overall health condition of the patient that depends on some covariates such as age, sex, or treatment type received. We propose a semiparametric frailty‐Cox cure model to quantify the overall health condition of the patient by a covariate‐dependent frailty that has a discrete mass at zero to characterize the cured patients, and a positive continuous part to characterize the heterogeneous health conditions among the uncured patients. A multiple imputation estimation method is proposed for the right‐censored case, which is further extended to accommodate interval‐censored data. Simulation studies show that the performance of the proposed method is highly satisfactory. For illustration, the model is fitted to a set of right‐censored melanoma incidence data and a set of interval‐censored breast cosmesis data. Our analysis suggests that patients receiving treatment of radiotherapy with adjuvant chemotherapy have a significantly higher probability of breast retraction, but also a lower hazard rate of breast retraction among those patients who will eventually experience the event with similar health conditions. The interpretation is very different to those based on models without a cure component that the treatment of radiotherapy with adjuvant chemotherapy significantly increases the risk of breast retraction.


Objectives: The fact that spousal support is not always beneficial for the recipient continues to intrigue researchers in the dyadic support field. One possible explanation for this phenomenon may be individual differences in attachment orientations, which might promote or, conversely, hinder the ability to capitalize on one's partner's support. We therefore assessed the interactive contribution of cardiac patients' attachment orientations (anxious and avoidant) and partners' caregiving styles (sensitive and compulsive) to patients' anxiety symptoms 6 months after a first acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Design and methods: A longitudinal design was employed among 114 couples coping with one partner's ACS. During hospitalization, patients completed the Experiences in Close Relationships scale, tapping attachment orientation, and 6 months later, the anxiety scale of the Brief Symptom Inventory. Partners completed the Adult Caregiving Questionnaire during patients' hospitalization. Results: Regression analyses showed that partners' caregiving styles moderated the positive association between patients' anxious attachment and anxiety symptoms. This association was stronger when partners were characterized with high levels of compulsive caregiving, but also, and surprisingly, when partners were characterized with high levels of sensitive caregiving. No significant effects were found for highly avoidant patients. Conclusions: The findings suggest that patients' personalities play a crucial role in determining the consequences of partners' caregiving styles. Integrating the personality perspective into the dyadic paradigm may allow a more comprehensive understanding of the circumstances under which partners' care reduces patients' distress.


Background: Heel pain is a common clinical condition which significantly affects the quality of life. It is frequently associated with calcaneal spur (CS). Despite its high prevalence, the optimal treatment remains unclear. The aim and objective of this study is to evaluate the extent of CS in heel pain; correlation of CS with some sociodemographic and health-related factors; and outcome of homoeopathic treatment over a period of 6 months. Methodology: It was a retrospective study done at Dr. Anjali Chatterjee Regional Research Institute for Homoeopathy, Kolkata. Samples were selected from the patients referred for ankle X-ray from August 2014 to July 2015 for nontraumatic heel pain. Their files were traced from outpatient department, and treatment records were reviewed over the next 6 months. Results: Totally 92 patients, 70 women and 22 men, had undergone lateral X-ray of ankle for nontraumatic heel pain, of which 76 (82.6%) patients had CS. Extent of CS was found to be higher in case of females, older age, overweight, and profession of housemaid or manual labor. Homoeopathic treatment showed positive response in nearly 75% of the CS patients. The most useful medicines were Calcarea flouricum, Rhus toxicodendron, Ledum palustre, and Aranea diadema. Conclusion: CS was found in nearly 80% of patients presenting with heel pain, which showed association with female sex, overweight, increasing age, and profession requiring heel stress. Homoeopathic treatment was effective in 3/4th of CS patients, and Rhus toxicodendron and Calcarea flouricum are the two most commonly used medicines.


Acute kidney injury (AKI) causes a decrease in renal function which leads to failure in balancing electrolyte, fluid and acid-base homoeostasis. AKI is a damaging and life-threatening disorder, but it can be managed if identified earlier. This study aimed to investigate the possible nephroprotective effect of Helianthus annuus seeds extract against gentamicin (GM) induced nephrotoxicity in male mice. The control group (0.5 ml normal saline i.p.,), Gentamycin (GM) group (GM 100 mg/kg i.p), silymarin + GM group (silymarin 50 mg/kg and GM 100 mg/kg i.p.,), H. annuus extract (HAE) and GM, group (HAE 250 mg/kg and GM 100 mg/kg i.p), HAE2 + GM group (HAE2; 500 mg/kg and GM 100 mg/kg i.p) and H. annuus oil (HAO) + GM (HAO 2.5 ml/kg and GM 100 mg/kg i.p). Serum creatinine, urea and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) were significantly (P< 0.001) elevated in the GM group compared to the control group. The elevated level of serum creatinine, urea and BUN were decreased significantly (P<0.001) in groups treated with HAE and HAO extracts compared to the GM group. The kidney histopathological study from the GM group showed tubular necrosis, vacuolation and fibrosis. However, the animal that received HAE and HAO showed no tubular necrosis and vacuolation. Only mild inflammation was observed compared to the GM group. In conclusion, the extract caused marked radical scavenger and protected the kidney from oxidative damage of GM. H. annuus seeds contain strong antioxidant compounds, including flavonoids, phenolic acids, tocopherols and minerals, which could be responsible for the current show.


Abstract Background This North Central Cancer Treatment Group (NCCTG) N064A (Alliance) phase II trial evaluated upfront chemoradiotherapy incorporating the EGFR inhibitor panitumumab, followed by gemcitabine and panitumumab for unresectable, non-metastatic pancreatic cancer. Methods The treatment consisted of fluoropyrimidine and panitumumab given concurrently with radiotherapy followed by gemcitabine and panitumumab for 3 cycles followed by maintenance panitumumab. The primary endpoint was the 12-month overall survival (OS) rate and secondary endpoints included confirmed response rate (RR), OS, progression-free survival (PFS), and adverse events. Enrollment of 50 patients was planned and the study fully accrued. Results Fifty-two patients were enrolled, but only 51 were treated and included in the analysis. The median age of patients was 65 years and 54.9% were women. Twenty-two patients received at least 1 cycle of systemic therapy following radiotherapy, but 29 patients received chemoradiotherapy only without receiving subsequent chemotherapy after completion of chemoradiotherapy. The overall RR was 5.9% (95% CI: 1.2%-16.2%). The 12-month OS rate was 50% (95% CI: 38%-67%) which fell short of the per-protocol goal for success (51.1%). The median PFS was 7.4 months (95% CI: 4.5-8.6) and the median OS was 12.1 months (95% CI 7.9-15.9). Grade 3 or higher adverse events were reported by 88%. Conclusion The combination of panitumumab, chemotherapy, and external beam radiation therapy was associated with very high rates of grades 3-4 toxicities and survival results did not meet the trial's goal for success. This regimen is not recommended for further study (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier NCT00601627).


Many genotoxic cancer treatments activate AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), but the mechanisms of AMPK activation in response to DNA damage, and its downstream consequences, have been unclear. In this study, etoposide activates the α1 but not the α2 isoform of AMPK, primarily within the nucleus. AMPK activation is independent of ataxia-telangiectasia mutated (ATM), a DNA damage-activated kinase, and the principal upstream kinase for AMPK, LKB1, but correlates with increased nuclear Ca2+ and requires the Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent kinase, CaMKK2. Intriguingly, Ca2+-dependent activation of AMPK in two different LKB1-null cancer cell lines caused G1-phase cell-cycle arrest, and enhanced cell viability/survival after etoposide treatment, with both effects being abolished by knockout of AMPK-α1 and α2. The CDK4/6 inhibitor palbociclib also caused G1 arrest in G361 but not HeLa cells and, consistent with this, enhanced cell survival after etoposide treatment only in G361 cells. These results suggest that AMPK activation protects cells against etoposide by limiting entry into S-phase, where cells would be more vulnerable to genotoxic stress. Implications: These results reveal that the α1 isoform of AMPK promotes tumorigenesis by protecting cells against genotoxic stress, which may explain findings that the gene encoding AMPK-α1 (but not -α2) is amplified in some human cancers. Furthermore, α1-selective inhibitors might enhance the anticancer effects of genotoxic-based therapies. Mol Cancer Res; 16(2); 345–57. ©2017 AACR.


Given the instrumental wave of globalization, English language has received a more pragmatic attitude and development interventionist promotion in developing countries including Bangladesh. This attitudinal shift and promotion have also led the policy makers of Bangladesh to revise and develop English education related policies including its curriculum, methods, materials and assessment system. Considering the scope of journal writing, the paper critically presents a policy trajectory study of secondary English education assessment in Bangladesh. This qualitative study was conducted as part of a doctoral project employing content analysis of pertinent policy documents and semi-structured interviews with a set of English curriculum policy implementation stakeholders including teacher trainers, school principals and English teachers. The findings highlighted a clear 'disconnection' between the intended English assessment policy directions and the practiced pattern. The analysis of data also indicated that, as a washback of such 'disconnection' between policy and practice substantially intercedes the overall quality of secondary English education. By accenting the assessment system as the wire-puller, the paper finally suggested that the strict monitoring of the government would facilitate the extent of proper implementation of secondary English assessment policy in Bangladesh.


This paper presents the design of an impulse wavelet for structural defect diagnosis. Specifically, the impulse response measured on a rolling bearing has been used as the basis to formulate a scaling function that satisfies the dilation equation, which is generally provided in standard base wavelets. The scaling function is subsequently used to construct a base wavelet (i.e., an impulse wavelet) for analyzing vibration signals measured on the bearing. Because of the inherent association of the impulse wavelet with the bearing being monitored, it is shown to provide a physically more meaningful method for extracting defect-induced impulsive features embedded in the bearing vibration signals than some of the standard wavelets reported in the literature. Evaluation using sensor data obtained on an experimental test bed confirmed the conclusion.


When a large-scale disaster strikes, the communications infrastructure is usually unavailable. However, accurate and timely information of the disaster area is important because first responders rely on this information to assess the situation in the affected area and to provide an effective and immediate assistance. In this paper, a data collection method from an area of interest (AoI) within the disaster zone is proposed that uses the mobile phones of the people to serve as sensing nodes. In order for maximum AoI coverage to be achieved while minimizing delay, we propose a disruption tolerant network (DTN)-based data aggregation method. In this method, mobile phone users create messages containing disaster-related information and merge them with their respective coverage areas resulting in a new message with the merged coverage. The merging or aggregation of multiple messages will reduce message size and minimize the overall message collection delay. However, simply merging the messages can result in duplicate counting thus, to prevent this, a Bloom filter is constructed for each message. Also, to reduce further the message deli- very time, the expected reaching time of a node to its destination is introduced as a routing metric. Through computer simulation with a real geographical map, the proposed method achieved a 9.7% decrease in information collection de- lay confirming that the proposed method achieved a smaller delay with a smaller number of total exchanged messages in collecting disaster information covering the AoI than epidemic routing.


Abstract Religion, as a kind of social control, plays a role in the construction of social order. It contributes to shaping or influencing the formation of local legal culture, to the generation of various norms, and to the production of social controllers, and it affects dispute settlement. Religious social control in the social grass-roots of China has developed an intricate form as a result of the interaction between plural religions and multi-ethnicity, which in turn speeds up the formation of legal pluralism. This article, based on the analysis of specific cases and ethnographic materials, examines the dynamic relationship between religion, the state law and other social controls within the perspective of legal pluralism. The paper also discusses whether religion will destroy or hinder the process of building legal unity in the multiethnic society of China.


Friction stir welding(FSW), a new solid-state joining process, is wildly used in the fields of aviation, aerospace and other high technology industries for many advantages over traditional fusion welding. Computer modeling is an important tool for the prediction and optimization of the FSW process. According to the characteristics of FSW of 7075 aluminum alloy plate, a 3D coupled thermo-mechanical FE model of this process was built under the ABAQUS/explicit environment based on the solution of several key techniques, such as heat boundary condition treating, material properties definition, ALE adaptive meshing technology, etc., and validated experimentally. Then, simulation and analysis of the complex plastic deformation behavior of the process were carried out. The results show that in the stable stage of the welding, the zone of equivalent plastic deformation decreases from the top surface of weld to the bottom surface; the plastic deformation of metal ahead of the welding tool is larger than that behind the welding tool; moreover the zone of equivalent plastic deformation is concentrated behind the tool.


Everyone knows that IT and IT education are important today. Within that, programming has a high priority. From the point of view of education, it does not matter what method we teach. In the educational process, it is very important to attract students' attention and interest in programming.

Programming methodology is one of the oldest areas of computer science education, so several methods are used to teach it today. Some of these can be used effectively in primary and secondary education, while others can be used in higher education. Important teaching methods have now emerged in certain areas of programming education. Most teachers do not use a single method, but a mixture of methods in which one of them dominates.
Nowadays almost everything is controlled by electronics. We see their various electronics gadgets almost everywhere around us. More and more microcontrollers are being used.
In any school, it would be good to teach IT to mean more than basic computer management. Information technology has a lot of possibilities and it is very easy to do amazing things with it! Technology, electronics, and information technology are increasingly part of our world. By programming microcontrollers, we can teach programming more interesting. With the help of lights and sounds, students' attention can be better captured.
This can be used to make programming learning interesting. Nowadays, lot of primary and secondary schools are using this method and students are visibly motivated and more and more students are choosing electrotechnical and IT in their further studies. In this article, we introduce the use of this method.


This monograph describes important research work bearing on immunity to transplanted tumours. As is well known, attempts to make successful grafts of a tumour growing in one species of mammal into an animal of a different species have hitherto been almost always unsuccessful. It is now shown that rats can be made temporarily susceptible to implants of certain mouse tumours by previous exposure in toto to strong x-radiation. The effect is not permanent, and after two to four weeks the engrafted tumours disappear. That actual growth has nevertheless occurred is proved both by the size attained by the implants and by the muscular invasion by neoplastic cells. When regression has taken place the rat is immune to further inoculations, and this immunity cannot be destroyed by subsequent exposures to x rays. If the rats are irradiated four to five days after implantation, the effect is less marked than when they are irradiated beforehand; this is probably because the cells of the implant have already been affected by the normal defence mechanism against foreign tissue elements. It does not seem to matter if the irradiation is carried out immediately or several days before the implantation is made. By varying the x-ray dose it is found that with bigger doses the implants attain a larger size and persist longer than when the dose is smaller. The general conclusion drawn from these experiments is that irradiation delays the mobilization of the normal defensive forces until the graft has produced enough reaction against itself to inhibit further growth and to cause regression. The author concludes that at least two factors are concerned in the production of this immunity to foreign cells, of which one is affected by the x rays, while the other is not. Special care has been taken throughout these experiments to ensure uniformity of experimental conditions and accurate standardization of dosage.


Summary. -A bimodal distribution of outcrossing rates was observed for natural plant populations, with more primarily selfing and primarily outcrossing species, and fewer species with intermediate outcrossing rate than expected by chance. We suggest that this distribution results from selection for the maintenance of outcrossing in historically large, outcrossing populations with substantial inbreeding depression, and from selection for selfing when increased inbreeding, due to pollinator failure or population bottlenecks, reduces the level of inbreeding depression. Few species or populations are fixed at complete selfing or complete outcrossing. A low level of selfing in primarily outcrossing species is unlikely to be selectively advantageous, but will not reduce inbreeding depression to the level where selfing is selectively favored, particularly if accompanied by reproductive compensation. Similarly, occasional outcrossing in primarily selfing species is unlikely to regularly provide sufficient heterosis to maintain selection for outcrossing through individual selection. Genetic, morphological and ecological constraints may limit the potential for outcrossing rates in selfers to be reduced below some minimum level.


ABSTRACT Members of our group reported recently that neisseria infection of human epithelial cells results in accelerated degradation of the major lysosomal integral membrane protein LAMP1 and that this is due to hydrolysis of this glycoprotein at its immunoglobulin A1 (IgA1)-like hinge by the neisseria type 2 IgA1 protease (L. Lin et al., Mol. Microbiol. 24:1083–1094, 1997). We also reported that the IgA1 protease plays a major role in the ability of the pathogenic neisseriae to survive within epithelial cells and hypothesized that this is due to alteration of lysosomes as a result of protease-mediated LAMP1 degradation. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that neisseria infection leads to multiple changes in lysosomes. Here, we report that neisseria infection also reduces the levels of three other lysosomal markers: LAMP2, lysosomal acid phosphatase (LAP), and CD63. In contrast, neither the epidermal growth factor receptor level nor the β-tubulin level is affected. A detailed examination of LAMP2 indicated that the reduced LAMP2 levels are not the result of an altered biosynthetic rate or of cleavage by the IgA1 protease. Nevertheless, the protease plays a role in reducing LAMP2 and LAP activity levels, as these are partially restored in cells infected with an iga mutant. We conclude that neisseria infection results in multiple changes to the lysosomes of infected epithelial cells and that these changes are likely an indirect result of IgA1 protease-mediated cleavage of LAMP1.


The capacity to associate symbiotic bacteria with vital aspects of plant and animal biology is outpacing our understanding of the mechanisms shaping these interactions. A major barrier to mechanistic studies is the paucity of tools for genetically manipulating wild and diverse bacterial isolates. Solving this problem is crucial to elucidating the cellular and molecular rules that govern symbiotic relationships and ultimately harnessing them for agricultural and biomedical applications. Therefore, we constructed a series of vectors that expedite genetic knock-in and knock-out procedures across a range of bacterial lineages. This was accomplished by developing strategies for domestication-free bacterial conjugation, designing plasmids with customizable features, and streamlining allelic exchange using visual markers of homologous recombination. These tools enabled a comparative study based on live imaging of diverse bacterial symbionts native to the zebrafish intestine, with which we discovered heterogeneous colonization patterns and a striking correlation between bacterial population biogeography and cellular behavior.


Fast-moving wildfires can result in substantial losses of infrastructure, property and life. During such events, real-time intelligence is critical for managing firefighting activities and public safety. The ability of fixed-site weather radars to detect the plumes from fires has long been recognised; however, quantitative methods to link properties of radar observed plumes to fire behaviour are lacking. We investigated the potential for weather radars to provide real time estimates of the growth of large fires in south-eastern Australia. Specifically, we examined whether the rate of change in fire area could be approximated using the change in volume represented by radar returns. We evaluated a series of linear mixed-effects models predicting fire-area growth using radar data representing a range of dBZ thresholds and search volumes. Models were compared using an information–theoretic approach. Radar return volume was found to be a robust predictor of fire-area change. The best model had a minimum threshold of 10 dBZ and a search radius of 60 km (R2 = 0.64). Fire area and radar relationships did not vary significantly between radar stations, suggesting broad applicability beyond the dataset. Further development of the use of weather radars for wildfire monitoring could yield substantial benefits because of their high frequency of scan and broad coverage over many populated areas.


Streptococcus gordonii produces a pheromone heptapeptide, s.g.cAM373, which induces a conjugative mating response in Enterococcus faecalis cells carrying the responsive plasmid, pAM373. We investigated the extent of this intergeneric signaling on DNA acquisition by streptococcal species likely to cohabit oral biofilms. E. faecalis/pAM373/pAMS470 cells were incubated with synthetic s.g.cAM373, reverse peptide s.g.cAM373-R, or peptide-free medium and examined for their abilities to transfer plasmid DNA to streptococcal species in the presence of DNase. Preinduction of E. faecalis donors with s.g.cAM373 resulted in transconjugation frequencies in non-pheromone producing strains of Streptococcus mutans, Streptococcus sanguinis, Streptococcus anginosus, and Streptococcus suis that were significantly higher than frequencies when donors were preincubated with s.g.cAM373-R or medium alone. Peptide-mediated communication between commensal streptococci and E. faecalis carrying pheromone-responsive plasmids may facilitate conjugative DNA transfer to bystander species, and influence the reservoir of antibiotic resistance determinants of enterococcal origin in the oral metagenome.


The black rice varieties are considered to have multiplier benefits in human health due to the presence of different antioxidants. An experiment was conducted at RARS, Khajura during rainy season of 2014 to evaluate the response of black rice with different doses of fertilizers and to document the basic phonological characters. It was found to be of short duration, low productive and non-responsive towards the fertilizer doses. Due to health benefiting qualities, the market price could easily compensate the low productivity and be of high commercial value in farming communities. However, more detail studies required on agronomy, protection, quality and breeding aspects before going to commercialization. Agronomy Journal of Nepal (Agron JN) , Vol.4, Page: 136-141, 2016


ABSTRACT: This study examines whether the empirical evidence on the relationship between corporate social performance (CSP) and corporate financial performance (CFP) differs depending on the publication outlet in which that evidence appears. This moderator meta-analysis, based on a total sample size of 33,878 observations, suggests that published CSP-CFP findings have been shaped by differences in institutional logics in different subdisciplines of organization studies. In economics, finance, and accounting journals, the average correlations were only about half the magnitude of the findings published in Social Issues in Management, Business Ethics, or Business and Society journals (mean corrected correlation coefficient of .22 vs. .49, respectively). Specifically, economists did not find null or negative CSP-CFP correlations, and average findings published in general management outlets ( = .41) were closer to Social Issues in Management, Business Ethics, and Business and Society results than to findings reported in economics, finance, and accounting journals.


Royal commissions are a tool for the executive government to inquire into matters of public importance. A new type of royal commission has emerged at the federal level as a result of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse – the truth-telling inquiry. Several more royal commissions have been established with an explicit truth-telling function. Recent legislative changes to the Royal Commissions Act 1902 (Cth) allowed for private sessions, cementing a truth-telling function in the legislative framework. The function of a truth-telling royal commission is to aid people who have suffered damage or injury in a process of reconciliation or restorative justice. In this article, I analyse the historical development of the powers and functions of Commonwealth royal commissions in statute and at common law in light of a truth-telling function. If this trend continues, truth-telling royal commissions may develop into an important symbol of reconciliation and justice.


The interaction between small-scale turbulence (of the order of the ion Larmor radius) and mesoscale magnetic islands is investigated within the gyrokinetic framework. Turbulence, driven by background temperature and density gradients, over nonlinear mode coupling, pumps energy into long-wavelength modes, and can result in an electrostatic vortex mode that coincides with the magnetic island. The strength of the vortex is strongly enhanced by the modified plasma flow response connected with the change in topology, and the transport it generates can compete with the parallel motion along the perturbed magnetic field. Density and temperature gradients inside the island are below the threshold for turbulence generation, and the anomalous transport inside the island is determined by turbulence spreading. A finite radial temperature gradient inside the island is observed to persist despite the fast motion along the field, and is related to the trapped particles which do not move along the field around the island. Consequences for the stability of the neo-classical tearing mode are discussed.


Sometimes the line of action of the load does not pass through the axis of a bearing and is shifted on either side by a few degrees. The effect of load orientation on the stability of an inverted three-lobe pressure dam bearing has been studied in this paper. An inverted three lobe pressure dam bearing is produced by incorporating two pressure dams in the upper two lobes and one relief track in the lower lobe. The result shows that stability of an inverted three-lobe pressure dam bearing supporting either rigid or flexible rotor is increased for the positive values of load orientation i.e. when the load line is shifted in the opposite direction of rotation.


The BlueJ development environment was specifically designed to support introductory teaching of object-orientations and helps users grasp the complicated concepts of class structure. Unlike most books on the subject, this text uses BlueJ to get readers started on object-oriented programming from day one. Uses a spiral approach that introduces a topic in a simple context early on, then revisits it later to increase understanding; Offers an abundance of projects for hands-on practice; Chapters are ordered around software development concepts rather than language features; Languagefeature introduction is naturally driven by problems to be solved; Chapters are based around distinct projects for more variety; Does not cover traditional topics like control structures. A useful reference for programmers.


Road condition analysis is an important research topic in many fields (such as intelligent transportation, road safety, road design analysis, and traffic analysis) and depends on road geometry parameters such as longitudinal profile and cross-slope. In this study, the extraction of road geometry parameters by unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) with LiDAR and by a mobile photogrammetric system (MPS) designed by our research group was investigated. The purpose of this study was to obtain geometric parameters (such as road longitudinal profile and cross-slope) by using digital terrain model (DTM) surfaces derived from point cloud data acquired using UAV-LiDAR and MPS. For this purpose, a framework was developed for the extraction and comparison of longitudinal and cross-sectional profiles. First, the ground filtering approach was used to extract ground points and DTM surfaces generated from an appropriate interpolation algorithm by using ground points. Cross-sectional/longitudinal profiles of the road sections were extracted and compared with reference data. A comparison of the longitudinal profiles obtained from DTMs derived from the MPS and from UAV-LiDAR revealed root mean square error values of 1.8 cm and 2.3 cm, respectively. The average deviation of cross-slopes for both surfaces was 0.19% and 0.18%, respectively. These results show that road geometric parameters can be obtained from DTM surfaces with high accuracy. It can be concluded from the results of this study that MPS can be a favorable alternative for studies on road geometry parameters extraction.


OBJECTIVE
To investigate the characteristics of stenotic external auditory canal (EAC) (e.g., shape, length, orientation, and curvature) and to compare them with those of the cholesteatoma and no cholesteatoma groups, which may help to explain cholesteatoma formation to a certain degree.

METHODS
Computed tomography scans of two groups of patients (with and without EAC cholesteatoma) were analyzed. We determined the degree of microtia, the stenosis of EAC, radius and curvature of osseous EAC bending (abbreviated as OEB-r and OEB-c, respectively), and other anatomic parameters of EAC by using Mimics and Matlab.

RESULTS
There was no significant difference in the degree of microtia between the cholesteatoma and no cholesteatoma groups using the Marx grading system. Additionally, no significant difference was found in the stenosis of EAC between the two groups. The OEB-r was smaller in the cholesteatoma group (4.62 ± 0.62 mm) than in the no cholesteatoma group (7.41 ± 0.50 mm), and the OEB-c was found to be larger in the cholesteatoma group (1.55 ± 0.05 × 10 mm) than in the no cholesteatoma group (1.10 ± 0.10 × 10 mm). Moreover, the OEB-c (OR, 8.60; 95% CI, 2.67-27.75) was associated with EAC cholesteatoma formation.

CONCLUSION
The curvature of osseous EAC in the cholesteatoma group was significantly larger than that in the no cholesteatoma group. It is suggested that the curvature of osseous EAC was a risk factor for EAC cholesteatoma formation.


Polymer blends are generally categorized into two main classes: miscible blends that exist in a single homogeneous phase exhibiting synergistic properties and immiscible blends that have 2 or more different phases. There is also a third category of blends called technologically compatible blend, which exist in two or more different phases on micro scale, yet displays combination of properties. Ethylene-propylene-diene rubber (EPDM) and Hexa fluoropropylene-vinylidinefluoride dipolymer, Fluoroelastomer (FKM) blends with and without compatibilizer (MA-g-EPDM) were prepared by two-roll mill mixing. The aim of the work is to find out the best blend ratio and the amount of compatibilizer loading on thermal and mechanical properties by applying a novel mathematical programming technique called Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA). Using the different concentration of the ingredients used as inputs and the extent to which certain properties satisfied by the blends as outputs, a DEA model is developed. The blends which will be referred to as Decision Making Units (DMUs) were classified in terms of their efficiency. It is observed that the efficiency of all the compatibilized blends is higher than that of uncompatibilized blends. The maximum efficiency is obtained for 2.5 phr compatiblized blend.Keywords: Rubber Blends, Efficiency, Data envelopment analysis.


Deep-vein thrombosis (DVT) is a common condition that can lead to complications such as postphlebitic syndrome, pulmonary embolism and death. The approach to the diagnosis of DVT has evolved over the years. Currently an algorithm strategy combining pretest probability, D-dimer testing and compression ultrasound imaging allows for safe and convenient investigation of suspected lower-extremity thrombosis. Patients with low pretest probability and a negative D-dimer test result can have proximal DVT excluded without the need for diagnostic imaging. The mainstay of treatment of DVT is anticoagulation therapy, whereas interventions such as thrombolysis and placement of inferior vena cava filters are reserved for special situations. The use of low-molecular-weight heparin allows for outpatient management of most patients with DVT. The duration of anticoagulation therapy depends on whether the primary event was idiopathic or secondary to a transient risk factor. More research is required to optimally define the factors that predict an increased risk of recurrent DVT to determine which patients can benefit from extended anticoagulant therapy.


The electrochemical behaviors of zinc anode in the presence of the additives added to the electrodes are presented. LaCoO3 was used as an additive to improve the electrochemical properties of the zinc anode. LaCoO3 synthesized by sol gel method (Schiff base complex) was added to Zn and ZnO powder with the weight ratios of 1:0.05 and 1:0.002 respectively. The electrochemical properties of the zinc and zinc/LaCoO3 electrodes in 6M KOH solution were investigated by voltammetric technique and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The cyclic voltammograms showed that zinc electrodes with LaCoO3 additive gave higher anodic currents and ZnO passivation delayed. The cathodic Tafel plot indicated that the hydrogen overpotential shifted toward more negative value. The EIS revealed that the charge transfer resistances of the zinc/LaCoO3 electrodes were higher than that of zinc electrodes.


Noise in magnetic recording is contributed by the media, electronics, and mechanical imperfections in servoing. These affect signal-to-noise as a function of track width and linear density in different ways. Coding and modulation schemes for high-density recording must address these noise sources accurately. It is proposed to linearize the channel using AC biasing and then use techniques from information and communication theory to increase track densities without sacrificing too much in linear densities. >


In this report, effects of surface scattering on beamforming technique operated by a linear array are investigated. The array pattern, synthesized by conventional beamforming, is illustrated as an index to show the scattering effects. Both the cases of a wave scattered by randomly rough and smooth surfaces are considered, which are solved by the image and Kirchhoff methods, respectively. It is found that the latter case gives stronger interference to the array pattern than the former one. In the randomly rough surface case, the array pattern is interfered more severely when the array focuses the main beam in the direction of the scattering surface. It is found that the pattern interference can be smoothed by the roughness of the surface. The rougher the surface is, the weaker interference is. It is also demonstrated that the longer range between the array and source may lead to stronger interference. The three‐dimensional as well as two‐dimensional problems are investigated. In the former problem, the sid...


This paper describes a speaker-adaptive HMM-based speech synthesis system. The new system, called ldquoHTS-2007,rdquo employs speaker adaptation (CSMAPLR+MAP), feature-space adaptive training, mixed-gender modeling, and full-covariance modeling using CSMAPLR transforms, in addition to several other techniques that have proved effective in our previous systems. Subjective evaluation results show that the new system generates significantly better quality synthetic speech than speaker-dependent approaches with realistic amounts of speech data, and that it bears comparison with speaker-dependent approaches even when large amounts of speech data are available. In addition, a comparison study with several speech synthesis techniques shows the new system is very robust: It is able to build voices from less-than-ideal speech data and synthesize good-quality speech even for out-of-domain sentences.


A Petri net was used to model, analyze, and ultimately control a novel laboratory robotic system designed to automatically image protein crystallization experiments per user-specified schedules. Flexibility in system operation was necessary in order to accommodate unpredictable experimental tray entry and removal by crystallographers, as well as on-the-fly modification of imaging schedules to account for unplanned events or delays. A Petri net model of the system was created and analyzed. The Petri net was implemented in software, interfaced with the system hardware, and used to operate the integrated system. The Petri net controlled automated crystallization imaging system has been in daily use for well over one full year.


Using an attention mechanism based on the convolutional neural networks (CNNs) improves the performance of computer vision tasks by enhancing the representation of the features. The existing attention methods enhance the expression of the features by modeling the internal information of the features. However, due to the limited information flow of the previous features, these methods are difficult to calibrate features more completely. In this paper, we propose a Coupled Attention Framework (CAF) that is a simple attention framework for improving the performance of the existing attention methods. In the CAF, a coupling branch is added to an existing attention method to generate the input attention maps and enhance the input features of the convolution. The input attention is then spread to the output features through coupling between the input attention maps and convolution, the output features. The final result is the experimental results on various visual tasks. The results show that applying CAF to most of the existing attention methods can improve the performance with fewer parameters.


Introduction Fourier's theory of heat conduction is well known. In its original form Fourier's theory of heat conduction, as presented by the French mathematician, is rather abstruse, but fortunately somewhat simpler treatments of it are available in English, and one of them has been used as a source for the fundamental equations given in this paper. Even in the simplified form in which the theory is presented by Ingersoll and Zobel 1 there is still some difficulty involved in using the equations. I am in‐debted to Dr. Myron Pawley, instructor of mathematics, Colorado School of Mines, for demonstrating the manipulation which makes the equations of Ingersoll and Zobel directly usable, and to C. E. Van Orstrand, of the United States Geological Survey, and Dr. L. H. Adams, of the Geophysical Laboratory, for helpful criticism of the final results. In general, the equations are thrown into a form in which they . . .


We consider the problem of multi-objective (MO) blackbox optimization using expensive function evaluations, where the goal is to approximate the true Pareto set of solutions while minimizing the number of function evaluations. For example, in hardware design optimization, we need to find the designs that trade-off performance, energy, and area overhead using expensive simulations. We propose a novel uncertainty-aware search framework referred to as USeMO to efficiently select the sequence of inputs for evaluation to solve this problem. The selection method of USeMO consists of solving a cheap MO optimization problem via surrogate models of the true functions to identify the most promising candidates and picking the best candidate based on a measure of uncertainty. We also provide theoretical analysis to characterize the efficacy of our approach. Our experiments on several synthetic and six diverse real-world benchmark problems show that USeMO consistently outperforms the state-of-the-art algorithms.


Ground‐penetrating radar (GPR) is a well‐established geophysical terrestrial exploration method and has recently become one of the most promising for planetary subsurface exploration. Several future landing vehicles like EXOMARS, 2020 NASA ROVER, and Chang'e‐4, to mention a few, will host GPR. A GPR survey has been conducted on volcanic deposits on Mount Etna (Italy), considered a good analogue for Martian and Lunar volcanic terrains, to test a novel methodology for subsoil dielectric properties estimation. The stratigraphy of the volcanic deposits was investigated using 500 MHz and 1 GHz antennas in two different configurations: transverse electric and transverse magnetic. Sloping discontinuities have been used to estimate the loss tangents of the upper layer of such deposits by applying the amplitude‐decay and frequency shift methods and approximating the GPR transmitted signal by Gaussian and Ricker wavelets. The loss tangent values, estimated using these two methodologies, were compared and validated with those retrieved from time domain reflectometry measurements acquired along the radar profiles. The results show that the proposed analysis, together with typical GPR methods for the estimation of the real part of permittivity, can be successfully used to characterize the electrical properties of planetary subsurface and to define some constraints on its lithology of the subsurface.


In the face of ever-changing world and increased competition conditions, companies have the necessity of using their resources effectively and efficiently in order to achieve maximum output with the least input to maintain profitability. Purpose of this study is to measure the activities of the airline transporting passenger companies that are operating in an intense competitive environment with data envelopment analysis. Data obtained from financial statement of companies have been analyzed with DEAP (Data Envelopment Analysis Program). As a result of this research, three of seven companies examined were determined to be effective. Potential improvement rates have been identified for becoming effective of inactive companies


Although subscription libraries have existed in
Malaysia since 1817, it was only in 1968, about ten years
after independence that the Government adopted the
Blueprint for Public Library Development in Malaysia.
Since then, all but one of the States in Peninsular
Malaysia have adopted public library legislation and have
established State Public Library Corporations. Despite this,
overall provisions are patchy and uneven and the greater
bulk of the population still do not have access to public
library services.
Government authorities are quite concerned over this
state of affairs as it is increasingly being realized that
libraries can be an important instrument for economic and
social upliftment, particularly of the country's largely
rural population. The main purpose of the thesis therefore
has been to identify the major constraints to overall
development, to suggest measures to the Malaysian
Government likely to place public library services on a firm
foundation and to offer particularly to the developing
countries some useful insights, based on Malaysia's
experience in the field.
Particularly significant is the fact that a Public
Library Policy for the country endorsed at the
highest levels of Government, does not exist.
Legislative provisions too are not only inadequate but
are conflicting in some respects. While both the Federal
and State Governments have legislative competence for
public libraries, the question of executive responsibility
has never been clearly determined. Existing financial
provisions place too heavy a burden on State
Governments, whose sources of revenue, in most cases are
strictly limited. The absence of long term development
plans is a further inhibiting factor while manpower
provisions, especially at the professional level are
grossly inadequate.
It is suggested that a Federal Act for Public
Libraries is of cardinal importance. The Act should
enshrine the public library policy for the country,
place the subject of public libraries within the
portfolio of a Federal Minister, equip the National
Library with the required authority and make adequate
provisions for finance and manpower.


Ensuring security and privacy of content in a mobile ad-hoc network (MANET) is a challenging problem, especially when that content is distributed over the network using some form of peer-to-peer dissemination scheme. Since cooperation among nodes is vital in MANETs, the capture or compromise of a single node not only exposes locally cached content, but also allows an adversary to interrogate the network with the authority of an insider, acquiring important information such as content access patterns, popularity and location. Previous work in MANETs has predominantly focused on providing solutions for security and anonymity of routing protocols, confidentiality, and key management. In this paper, we present protocols that provide the ability to securely and privately locate content for two common peer-to-peer dissemination operations: publish/subscribe (content PUSH), and direct query (content PULL).


Introduction Regulation of iron uptake and utilisation is critical for bacterial growth and for prevention of iron toxicity. To date, little research has been carried out on iron uptake mechanisms and their regulation in Clostridium difficile. However, analysis of available C. difficile genome sequences reveals the presence of multiple iron-uptake systems and regulators underlining the importance of iron acquisition for clostridial growth. In this study, we investigated the phenotypic effects of the ferrous iron uptake system FeoB1 and the ferric uptake regulator and iron-dependent global gene regulator Fur in C. difficile. Methods ClosTron mutagenesis was used to generate knockout mutants in a single feoB1 and fur homologue in C. difficile 630Δerm, which were then inoculated into an in vitro human gut model to investigate relative propensity to induce C. difficile infection (CDI). Three parallel triple-stage chemostat gut models were primed with human faecal emulsions and spiked with C. difficile spores (~107 spores) from each mutant in addition to the 630Δerm wild-type parental strain. Bacterial populations were allowed to equilibrate before simulated CDI was induced by instillation of clindamycin (33.9 mg/L, four times daily for 7 days). Serial samples were collected for enumeration of microflora populations, C. difficile vegetative cells, spores and measurement of cytotoxin titres. Results Cytotoxicity assays revealed that the fur mutant strain produced considerably lower toxin levels (~1000 fold lower) than the feoB1 and wild type strain. Following clindamycin exposure, all three C. difficile strains germinated and exhibited sustained vegetative proliferation (~5.5/6 log10 cfu/mL). The feoB1 mutant strain germinated slightly earlier than the other strains, which may have been influenced by the slightly lower clindamycin levels in the feoB1 model. Indeed, compared to wild type, higher minimum inhibitory concentrations were observed for both mutant strains, indicating reduced susceptibility to clindamycin. In all three models, the introduction of clindamycin caused a decline in Bifidobacteria (3.5 log10 cfu/mL), Clostridia (~3 log10 cfu/mL) and Lactobacilli (~2 log10 cfu/mL) with increases in Enterococci and Enterobacteriaceae (2–4 log10 cfu/mL). However, no specific microflora changes correlated with the strain of C. difficile used in each of the models. Conclusion These findings reveal the important role of the Fur system in regulating the expression of C. difficile toxins. Modulation of iron homeostasis may represent a potential novel therapeutic or preventative strategy against CDI. Disclosure of Interest None Declared


Four new species and a new genus of Heteroderidae from California are described, and their significance for phylogenetic analysis of the family is discussed. The new genus with type species, Ekphymatodera thomasoni n. gen., n. sp., shares many characteristics with Hylonema Luc, Taylor, &Cadet, 1978, but it is distinguished by its much greater vulva-anus distance and unique cuticular pattern. Hypotheses of relationships of Ekphymatodera and Hylonema with Sarisodera Wouts and Sher, 1971 versus Heterodera Schmidt, 1871 are discussed. Verutus californicus n. sp. is larger than the type species, Verutus volvingentis Esser, 1981, differing in females particularly by the greater distance of its excretory pore from the anterior end. Monophyly of Verutus, which may be an outgroup of all other Heteroderidae, is strengthened by description of V. californicus. Atalodera trilineata n. sp. differs from other ataloderines by having second-stage juveniles with three lateral lines and from the type, Atalodera ucri Wouts and Sher, 1971, by the more subtle cuticular pattern of females and longer juveniles with much longer tails. Atalodera festucae n. sp., with four lateral lines in juveniles, has smaller females than A. trilineata and has a protruding dorsal vulval lip. A unique common ancestor for Atalodera-Sherodera-Thecavermiculatus is supported, and monophyly with Thecavermieulatus andinus Golden, Franco, Jatala, &Astocaza, 1973 is considered.


Abstract:The purpose of this study was to compare photographic and questionnaire-based approaches to examining youths' relationships with their communities. Thirty youth living in an urban neighborhood developed a collection of photographs depicting connections to their community. Youth also completed the Neighborhood Youth Inventory, the Collective Efficacy scale, and the Sense of Community Index, and were interviewed. A method of assigning ratings to the youths' photographs that combined their own ratings with independent ratings by social scientists resulted in a measure that correlated significantly with questionnaire-based measures. This article discusses and illustrates the results through a case study, and identifies the advantages and disadvantages of each method as a tool for understanding neighborhood connections.


Abstract Background  Surgical options for osteoarthritis (OA) of the first carpometacarpal include excision, replacement arthroplasty, and arthrodesis. However, in pan trapezial OA, optimal management of residual scaphotrapezoidal articulation has remained unclear. Purpose  The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether removing the proximal trapezoid from the scaphotrapezoid joint (STJ) and interposing tendon when performing a ligament reconstruction and tendon interposition (LRTI) for pan trapezial arthritis resulted in any clinical or radiographic compromise compared with LRTI alone in isolated carpometacarpal joint arthritis. Methods  In a prospective consecutive cohort, 122 thumbs were selected to generate two matched cohorts and a cross-sectional review was completed at an average of 24 months (range: 5–203 months). Fifty-six thumbs had LRTI alone and 66 thumbs also had resection of the proximal portion of the trapezoid with tendon interposition in the residual gap. Results  The cohorts showed no significant differences in subjective and objective outcome measures and imaging. Excision of the STJ was not associated with poorer clinical outcomes or the development of a dorsal intercalated segment instability deformity. Conclusions  The management of pan trapezial arthritis with LRTI and proximal trapezoid excision and STJ interposition appears satisfactory on short- to medium-term clinical and radiographic follow-up. Level of Evidence:  This is a Level III, consecutive cross-sectional cohort study.


The double-encapsulated microcapsules were prepared by the non-solvent addition, phase-separation method to form core material and, encapsulated with the O/W emulsion non-solvent addition method to increase drug loading and regulate drug release rate. The drug used was theophylline, which is water-soluble. Dichloromethane and n-hexane were used as the solvent and non-solvent, respectively. This study investigated how various core material and microcapsule EC/TH ratios affect the drug loss, particle size, surface morphology and release rate. The drug loss of the double-encapsuLated microcapsules was 12.8% less than that of microcapsules prepared by the O/W emulsion non-solvent addition method alone. The particle size of these double-encapsulated microcapsules decreased as the concentration of EC polymer was increased in the second encapsulation process. The roughness of their surface was also in proportion to the concentration of polymer solution used in the second encapsulation process. The dissolution study showed that the T20 of the double-encapsulated microcapsules ranged from 2-35.4 h, while that of the O/W emulsion non-solvent addition method microcapsules was from 2.7-7.7 h. The greater the level of EC in the polymer solution, the slower the release rate of the drug from the microcapsules when the EC was not over the critical amount.


For Darriel Jeffree on his 50th birthday Introduction: An Overview of Patrick White's Voss Notebook In 1958, the future translator and editor of Ludwig Leichhardt's correspondence – Marcel Aurousseau – was asked by the literary journal Meanjin to comment upon 'The Identity of Voss '. Taking into account a range of source material, Aurousseau reached the following, at that time speculative, conclusion: It seems most likely that Mr. White has read Leichhardt's letters to his relatives, I should say in the original German edition of 1881, and that he read them with most perceptive understanding. Following the recent discovery of a collection of White's letters, notebooks and manuscripts, sold to the National Library of Australia (NLA) in 2006, it has become possible to examine White's principal research notebook for Voss online via the NLA catalogue. The Voss notebook now reveals Aurousseau's opinion of 1958 to be a statement of fact, albeit one subject to some significant qualifications. On the basis of the Voss notebook, we now know that White conducted research into all three of Leichhardt's expeditions, with probably the most detail being devoted to the first attempted east-west crossing of Australia of 1846–47 (Leichhardt's second major expedition overall) White even includes a basic bibliography in which he lists a range of names (see Figures 2.1 and 2.2 below). Some of these refer to Leichhardt's early contacts: William Nicholson, Leichhardt's research companion in Germany and England; William Branwhite Clarke, the Sydney clergyman and geologist who had supported Leichhardt's career as an explorer; and John Gould, the renowned zoologist who had employed John Gilbert, the researcher and ornithologist who would later die during Leichhardt's first expedition to Port Essington (all listed on Figure 2.1). Others are, like Gilbert, members of the first expedition: John Roper, William Phillips (both Figure 2.1) and Christopher Pemberton Hodgson (Figure 2.2). Another group consists of those who went in search of Leichhardt after his disappearance in 1848, such as Hovenden Hely (also a member of Leichhardt's failed second expedition of 1846–47, who embarked on a search for Leichhardt in 1852), Sir John Forrest (who commanded the 1869 expedition in search of Leichhardt's remains that was organised by Ferdinand Jakob Heinrich von Mueller) and even the dubious Andrew Hume, who made a scarcely plausible claim to have come across a survivor from Leichhardt's final expedition (August Classen) on his outback wanderings during 1862 (all on Figure 2.2).


FcγR activity underpins the role of antibodies in both protective immunity and auto-immunity and importantly, the therapeutic activity of many monoclonal antibody therapies. Some monoclonal anti-FcγR antibodies activate their receptors, but the properties required for cell activation are not well defined. Here we examined activation of the most widely expressed human FcγR; FcγRIIa, by two non-blocking, mAbs, 8.26 and 8.2. Crosslinking of FcγRIIa by the mAb F(ab')2 regions alone was insufficient for activation, indicating activation also required receptor engagement by the Fc region. Similarly, when mutant receptors were inactivated in the Fc binding site, so that intact mAb was only able to engage receptors via its two Fab regions, again activation did not occur. Mutation of FcγRIIa in the epitope recognized by the agonist mAbs, completely abrogated the activity of mAb 8.26, but mAb 8.2 activity was only partially inhibited indicating differences in receptor recognition by these mAbs. FcγRIIa inactivated in the Fc binding site was next co-expressed with the FcγRIIa mutated in the epitope recognized by the Fab so that each mAb 8.26 molecule can contribute only three interactions, each with separate receptors, one via the Fc and two via the Fab regions. When the Fab and Fc binding were thus segregated onto different receptor molecules receptor activation by intact mAb did not occur. Thus, receptor activation requires mAb 8.26 Fab and Fc interaction simultaneously with the same receptor molecules. Establishing the molecular nature of FcγR engagement required for cell activation may inform the optimal design of therapeutic mAbs.


Antibiotics and personal care products are used in large quantities and commonly detected in various environmental compartments. The two antibiotics, ciprofloxacin and sulfamethoxazole, and the personal care product triclosan are among the most commonly detected compounds in sewage treatment plants and aquatic environments. Due to their usage patterns there is a risk that they also will end up in the coastal marine environment, where they risk affecting marine microorganisms. Despite this, only a limited number of studies have been published on their occurrence and ecotoxicity in the marine environment. As ciprofloxacin, sulfamethoxazole and triclosan are used for their inherent antimicrobial properties, microorganisms are thus likely to be among the most sensitive organisms and the aim of this thesis is thus to perform an in depth ecotoxicological hazard assessment on natural marine microbial communities. Periphyton (biofilm forming communities composed of both autotrophic and heterotrophic organisms) from the Gullmar fjord on the Swedish west coast was used for the hazard assessments. Chronic effects on the periphyton were assessed using two types of test systems, the semi-static SWIFT periphyton test and a flow through microcosm system. Clear concentration-dependent effects on bacterial respiration rates were observed on the periphytic bacteria after exposure to the two antibiotics, ciprofloxacin and sulfamethoxazole. Triclosan never inhibited the bacterial part of the periphyton communities despite its use as an antimicrobial agent. Algae were on the other hand insensitive to the two antibiotics and no inhibition was observed for periphytic algae exposed to ciprofloxacin or sulfamethoxazole. Sulfamethoxazole did instead stimulate total pigment content already at the lowest test concentrations of 5 nmol/L. Triclosan did in contrast affect periphytic algae in a concentration-dependent fashion in all experiments. The triclosan experiments performed with the SWIFT periphyton test system consistently resulted in inhibition of algal pigment content while a significant increase of total and individual pigment content was seen in the flow-through microcosm experiment with triclosan. This increase was probably due to a shift in species composition, a so called toxicant induced succession, producing a community composed of species with higher triclosan tolerance. A significantly increased community tolerance (PICT) was indeed observed for communities pre-exposed to triclosan concentrations of 100 nmol/L in the microcosm system. PICT was measured and quantified using acute inhibition of photosynthesis as well as chronic inhibition of algal pigment content (in the SWIFT periphyton test). A tenfold increase in tolerance, compared to the unexposed control communities, was observed with both methods. The chronic SWIFT test, however, detected PICT at lower exposure levels than the acute test of photosynthesis inhibition. The results for the SWIFT test thus indicate that chronic methods can be used to assess PICT.


This document presents the different ways to model heterogeneity in case of clustering, such pupils achievement in classroom or schools. In the linear framework, it essentially discusses the pertinence of fixed or random effects assumptions depending upon the goal pursued and the empirical evidence displayed by data. Statistical assumptions of the different models are introduced and successively discussed, as well as the properties of the estimators that are derived. For each model, SAS code is provided. Hausman tests, and their use to choose models, are explained. Beyond the linear framework, binary models are presented in the last chapter.


The Sherpas' adaptation to high altitude has been hypothesized as being due to a genetic basis since the beginning of the last century, but this has yet to be demonstrated. We randomly enrolled 105 Sherpas in Namche Bazaar (3440 m) and 111 non-Sherpa Nepalis in Kathmandu (1330 m) in Nepal. The genotypes of Glu298Asp and eNOS4b/a polymorphisms of the endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) gene were identified. The metabolites of nitric oxide (NO( x ): nitrite and nitrate) in serum were measured. The frequencies of the Glu and eNOS4b alleles were significantly higher in Sherpas (Glu: 87.5%; eNOS4b: 96.7%) than in non-Sherpas (Glu: 77.9%, p = 0.036; eNOS4b: 90.5%, p = 0.009). In addition, the combination of the wild types of Glu298Glu and eNOS4b/b was significantly greater in Sherpas (66.7%) than non-Sherpas (47.7%, p = 0.008). However, the serum NO( x ) was significantly lower in Sherpas (53.2 +/- 4.6 micromol/L) than in non-Sherpas (107.3 +/- 9.0 micromol/L, p < 0.0001). The wild alleles of the Glu298Asp and eNOS4b/a polymorphisms of the eNOS gene may be a benefit for the Sherpas' adaptation to high altitude. The nitric oxide metabolites (NO( x )) in serum vary individually, thus it is not a reliable indicator for endogenous nitric oxide production.


PCR amplicon next generation sequencing (NGS) analysis offers a broadly applicable and targeted approach to detect populations of both high- or low-frequency virus variants in one or more plant samples. In this study, amplicon NGS was used to explore the diversity of the tripartite genome virus, Prunus necrotic ringspot virus (PNRSV) from 53 PNRSV-infected trees using amplicons from conserved gene regions of each of PNRSV RNA1, RNA2 and RNA3. Sequencing of the amplicons from 53 PNRSV-infected trees revealed differing levels of polymorphism across the three different components of the PNRSV genome with a total number of 5040, 2083 and 5486 sequence variants observed for RNA1, RNA2 and RNA3 respectively. The RNA2 had the lowest diversity of sequences compared to RNA1 and RNA3, reflecting the lack of flexibility tolerated by the replicase gene that is encoded by this RNA component. Distinct PNRSV phylo-groups, consisting of closely related clusters of sequence variants, were observed in each of PNRSV RNA1, RNA2 and RNA3. Most plant samples had a single phylo-group for each RNA component. Haplotype network analysis showed that smaller clusters of PNRSV sequence variants were genetically connected to the largest sequence variant cluster within a phylo-group of each RNA component. Some plant samples had sequence variants occurring in multiple PNRSV phylo-groups in at least one of each RNA and these phylo-groups formed distinct clades that represent PNRSV genetic strains. Variants within the same phylo-group of each Prunus plant sample had ≥97% similarity and phylo-groups within a Prunus plant sample and between samples had less ≤97% similarity. Based on the analysis of diversity, a definition of a PNRSV genetic strain was proposed. The proposed definition was applied to determine the number of PNRSV genetic strains in each of the plant samples and the complexity in defining genetic strains in multipartite genome viruses was explored.


The Refugee Act of 1980 was a significant piece of legislation for the development of asylum law, and the United States' commitment to human rights and humanitarian concern for the struggles of refugees worldwide. The Act recognized the urgent needs of persons fleeing persecution in their homelands, asylees, and their need for protection and resettlement. The protections afforded in the Act extended to asylum seekers that were persecuted on the basis of (1) race, (2) religion, (3) nationality, (4) membership in a particular social group, or (5) political opinion. However, Congress did not define "membership in a particular social group" in the Refugee Act of 1980 or otherwise, and have left it to the Board of Immigration Appeals to interpret the term "membership in particular social group." As such, the Board of Immigration Appeals has developed, through case law, an arbitrary and loose definition for "membership in a particular social group." With such arbitrariness, as discussed in this Article, any group, including former gang members fleeing their country and seeking asylum could make a cognizable claim that they are a "member of a particular social group," and therefore ought to be afforded protections under the Refugee Act of 1980. This Article examines the history of asylum law that developed after the passing of the Refugee Act of 1980, specifically the "particular social group" standard as it was developed through Board of Immigration Appeals decisions, and a brief history of the development of the MS-13 and 18th Street gangs in the Northern Triangle of Central America. Ultimately, this Article examines a circuit court split on whether former gang members constitute a "particular social group." This Article takes the position that former gang members do constitute a "particular social group," and thus should be afforded asylum protections.


The use of residential photovoitaic (PV) system combined with a battery unit is increasingly utilized to make the local system less dependent on the utility grid. This paper presents the utilization of the electric vehicle battery (EVB) as a storage device in a home solar PV system. A novel solar powered electric vehicle (EV) charging or discharging facility to support the local power grids, while taking advantage of both the solar PV and the electric vehicle battery energy is presented and verified for a residential PV-EV energy system that comprises of a PV power generation and an electric vehicle battery unit. A scaled laboratory prototype is built to evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed strategy.


18F-labeling of proteins and peptides is important for positron emission tomography (PET). Although there are many methods for the labeling of proteins with (18)F, most of these are characterized by complicated procedures or low yields. Here, we report a novel and simple method which includes the preparation of [18F]fluorobenzaldehyde ([18F]FBA) and successive conjugation with hydrazinonicotinic acid-human serum albumin conjugate (HYNIC-HSA) via hydrazone formation. HYNIC-HSA, which can also be used for labeling with (99m)Tc, was prepared via reaction with N-hydroxysuccinimide (NHS) or tetrafluorophenyl (TFP) esters of HYNIC with HSA. No-carrier-added [18F]FBA was prepared by the nucleophilic substitution of [18F]fluoride to 4-trimethylammonium benzaldehyde triflate in the presence of tetrabutylammonium bicarbonate. [18F]FBA was purified by passing ion exchange cartridges (IC-H and QMA) and was adsorbed to a C18 Sep-Pak cartridge. The adsorbed [18F]FBA was then eluted with 50% ethanol. HYNIC-HSA was added to the solution and conjugated with [18F]FBA via hydrazone formation. 18F-HSA was purified with a PD10 column. Biodistribution of 18F-HSA, (99m)Tc-HSA, and [18F]FBA in mice were investigated at 10, 20, and 60 min after intravenous injection. The number of conjugated HYNIC molecules per HSA ranged from 5.2 to 23.2 depending on the reaction conditions. The labeling efficiency of 18F-FBA was 67 +/- 15.7%. The radiochemical purity after purification was over 99%. The conjugation efficiency of HYNIC-HSA with [18F]FBA was between 25% and 90%. The conjugation efficiency was observed to increase with increases in the number of conjugated HYNIC, the HYNIC-HSA concentration, or temperature. 18F-HSA exhibited a biodistribution pattern similar to that of (99m)Tc-HSA while [18F]FBA showed much lower blood activity than that of 18F-HSA and (99m)Tc-HSA. We concluded that 18F-HSA was successfully labeled using a novel method which involves hydrazone formation between [18F]FBA and HYNIC-HSA. This method can be applied to the 18F-labeling of other proteins or peptides.


To date, because of the computational complexity of using a general type-2 fuzzy set (T2 FS) in a T2 fuzzy logic system (FLS), most people only use an interval T2 FS, the result being an interval T2 FLS (IT2 FLS). Unfortunately, there is a heavy educational burden even to using an IT2 FLS. This burden has to do with first having to learn general T2 FS mathematics, and then specializing it to an IT2 FSs. In retrospect, we believe that requiring a person to use T2 FS mathematics represents a barrier to the use of an IT2 FLS. In this paper, we demonstrate that it is unnecessary to take the route from general T2 FS to IT2 FS, and that all of the results that are needed to implement an IT2 FLS can be obtained using T1 FS mathematics. As such, this paper is a novel tutorial that makes an IT2 FLS much more accessible to all readers of this journal. We can now develop an IT2 FLS in a much more straightforward way


Background Balance training (BT) programs seem to be appropriate for non-athletes and athletes, but the use of multi-intervention BT protocols make difficult to observe how balance exercises improve neuromuscular control. Objective The purpose of this study is to evaluate the current knowledge regarding the neuromuscular control adaptations in healthy participants following a BT protocol with exclusively balance exercises. Design Systematic review. Setting Randomised controlled trials and controlled clinical trials. Patients (or Participants) Healthy and physically active participants. Interventions (or Assessment of Risk Factors) The methodological quality and risk of bias were assessed using a modified Downs and Black checklist. Main Outcome Measurements The primary outcome is the measurements of electromyography (EMG) activity, like the rate of muscle activation, H-reflex, and M-wave. Results There were inconsistent findings regarding neuromuscular control outcomes. In relation to muscular activity observed by EMG signs, there was no change in the majority of the studies. However, one study reported a decrease in EMG activity for plantar flexors, and two studies observed an increase in muscular activity for soleus, gastrocnemius medialis, and quadriceps muscles after BT. Concerning H-reflex/M-wave ratio of the soleus muscle, two studies observed no change, while three studies reported significant reduction. Also, the reduction observed in the H-reflex/M-wave ratio was associated with a decrease of the maximal H-reflex and no change of the maximal W-wave. Following BT, the rate of force development normalized by maximum voluntary contraction (MVC) had a transient increase for plantar flexors and leg extensors. Although some authors reported a slight enhancement or no improvement on isometric MVC for plantar flexors, leg extensors, quadriceps, and hamstrings muscles. Conclusions Despite the moderate level of proof for neuromuscular control enhancement following BT, adaptations in neuromuscular control remain a significant factor to determine an appropriate exercise that would improve specific athletic performance.


The founder of Agranat Systems examines the design issues involved in engineering effective Web technologies for embedded systems. Small embedded TCP/IP stacks and Web server software now make it possible to manufacture reliable, inexpensive Web-enabled devices across many industries and markets. Embedded systems require Web servers that are designed to minimize memory footprint and avoid interference with mission-critical and real-time applications. To guarantee a reliable user interface with minimal impact on system performance, the server software should utilize the latest HTTP 1.1 standards from the Internet Engineering Task Force. It won't be long before intelligent devices worldwide will be nodes on a network and managed from Web browsers.